LAS VEGAS – For nearly three full rounds Robbie Lawler battered Jake Ellenberger with hooks and kicks, applying a constant pressure that wore Ellenberger down as it lumped him up.

After one particularly sharp right hand in the final round, Ellenberger (29-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) winced in a way that let Lawler (23-10 MMA, 8-4 UFC) know the end was near. Seconds later, with Ellenberger collapsing after eating a hard knee, referee Herb Dean concurred, stepping in to wave it off at 3:06 of Round 3.

The welterweight fight was part of today’s UFC 173 main card at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Lawler controlled the fight from start to finish, out-striking a cautious Ellenberger in the first round and meeting his intensity when a more desperate Ellenberger attempted to up the tempo later in the fight. As Ellenberger threw with increasing recklessness in the third, Lawler fired right back, sending him wobbling backward under the strain.

The right hand jab popped Ellenberger’s head back midway through the third, and the pain was evident on his face. After a knee from Lawler against the fence, Ellenberger dropped to the mat and covered up, with Lawler following him down and adding the final few punches to convince Dean that the fight was over.

Afterward, Lawler made it known that his focus is still on the UFC welterweight title. With a dominant performance like that, it might not be long until he gets another crack at it.

“I wanted to get in there and really push him to get the stoppage,” Lawler said. “I hit him with that 1-2 and followed it up when he went down. I have great coaches who guided me through this quick two-month turnaround after my last fight. I felt strong out there because they never let my body get weak during training. I’m not going to ask for any fights. I’m going to let the UFC brass decide what’s next but they know exactly what I want.”

Lawler gets back in the win column for the first time since his decision loss to current champ Johny Hendricks. Ellenberger has now lost two straight.

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